Rappy Veteran Posted July 7, 2008 Veteran Share Posted July 7, 2008 The Uefa Cup could be on the verge of being re-branded.It could soon be called the Uefa Europa League as football's bosses seek to give the competition fresh appeal. European soccer's governing body Uefa is considering the name change as it seeks to reverse a feeling it has become 'a second class competition'. The proposed name change was revealed by Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the acting chairman of the new European Clubs Association, whose organisation was presented with the proposal on Monday. Refreshment Rummenigge said: "The hope is that a refreshment of the name and brand can help achieve better results than we've seen in the Uefa Cup in the past. "There has been a general impression that it has become a second-class competition and that we should get back to how it was ten or 15 years ago." Uefa's executive committee is set to vote on the name change when it meets in Bordeaux in September. Confirming the vote, a senior Uefa source added the new name was meant to better reflect the new group stage system being used in the competition from the 2009-10 season. This new system is a direct copy of UEFA's more successful Champions League competition and will see the dropping of the unpopular five-team groups in which teams play each opponent just once either home or away in favour of a simpler home and away system. In another lesson learned from the lucrative Champions League, UEFA will also be marketing the competition centrally from 2009. /source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dev Null Zen Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 This will not change the fact that everyone will still consider it the runners up European places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L3thal Veteran Posted July 8, 2008 Veteran Share Posted July 8, 2008 I Agree. No matter what they name it, it will always be the little cousin of the Champions League. However, I believe it should get more respect and attention than it has gotten in recent years. Hopefully with the newer group format coming up, it will get a little more attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaRSightxc2 Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 (edited) Changing the name will do nothing. Whilst the 'big' clubs continue to dominate financially, every other club is being left behind. IMO a few things need to be done in order to bring more prestige to the UEFA cup and level the playing field for more exciting European competitions. 1) Increase Prize money won in UEFA cup 2) Reduce the size of the Champs League thus forcing better teams into the UEFA raising the standard of the competition. 3) Give the winner entry into the Champs League 4) Take away the rule whereby champs league teams drop into the UEFA cup after getting knocked out. By addressing these issues you could reduce the gap between the two competitions, and make both more exciting. The idea that clubs knocked out of one cup and drop into another is stupid and happens in no other cups in the world. You don't get knocked out of the English FA cup, only to go straight into the Carling Cup at a later date. Aside from this it means the traditionally bigger clubs have another chance at silverware and gaining revenue that smaller clubs do not have. They are in effect being rewarded twice for qualifying for the CL over the UEFA, meaning the gap between the elite clubs and every other club widens. Edited July 8, 2008 by FaRSightxc2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazysah Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 I actually like the rebranding though it will do notihng. I totally afree FaRSightxc2. Though reducing the size of the CL will bring in alot of backlash. I thought the winner of the UEFA Cup was given a place in the qualifying rounds? I kinda agree with the 4th point but how many teams that drop into the UEFA CUp from the CL actually go on and win it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dev Null Zen Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 I actually like the rebranding though it will do notihng.I totally afree FaRSightxc2. Though reducing the size of the CL will bring in alot of backlash. I thought the winner of the UEFA Cup was given a place in the qualifying rounds? I kinda agree with the 4th point but how many teams that drop into the UEFA CUp from the CL actually go on and win it? they don't even need to win it in order to rake in extra revenue for an extra game or 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaRSightxc2 Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 they don't even need to win it in order to rake in extra revenue for an extra game or 2. Yeah, exactly, aside from filling a full allocation for home and away matches, there is also prize money in each round. Rangers, for example, would have made a hell of a lot of money after dropping down from the CL, filling home and away allocations for the quarter finals through to the final, and then picking up the prize money for second place. Whole thing needs addressing IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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